Gas saving device for internal combustion engines



A. NASH. GAS SAVING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9,19I8.

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ALEXANDER. a. mesa, or sr. Ti ours, arrssouer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Patented Nov. 41, 1919..

Application filed August 9, v1918. Serial No, 249,104.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ALEXANDER Q. N ASH,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful'lmprove ment in Gas-Saving Devices for Internal Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to drawing, forming a part thereof, p I

This invention. relates, to a certain new and useful improvement ing'a's-savingde vices for internal combustion engines, the

the

principal object of my present invention being to provide a compact, simple, and ineX-, pensive device for conveniently adding to gasmixture supplied to the engine combustion-chambers moisture or vapor-laden,

-ing 1n the amount of 'bodying my invention preferably superheated air in varying volume proportionate with the demands of the engine, therebyrendering more perfect the combustibility, and increasing the efficiency and obtainable mileage, of-the supplied gasmixture, obviating carbonization'in the engine and its cylinders,

V gas furnished-or supplied to the engine With the above and other objects in view, I my present invention resides in certain novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all'as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out 'in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an internal combustion engine gas-saving device constructed in accordance with and em- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail' sectional view of the manipulative air-inlet valve; and Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic view of a combustion-engine equipped with or including a gas-saving device of my invention.

.. vieWs,-1 indicates 'a ta'chably secured more particularly to the said in'vhich like reference characters refer to like parts throughout'the several Referring ably in the form of a cylindrical tank or shell permanently closed at its bottom and removably closed at its top by a cover comprising a flange-ring 2 and a cap-plate 3 deto the ring 2 by screws 4, a

- gasket 5 being interposed between ring2 and plate 3 to prevent leakage.

in preferred form;

and which connection 16 length a coil 17 encircling the exhaust-maniwater-reservoir prefer- The cover-plate 3 is provided with a pair of threaded openings, threaded into one of which is the upper end of an air-supply pipe or tube 6 located within the tank 1. Also threaded in said one opening, inv communipipe 6, is the discharge-end ,cation with the of a longitudinallybored valve-member or casing 7 having longitudinally within its length slots 8+8, which communicate with the atmosphere and with the bore of valvemember 7. The bore of valve-member 7 is reduced, as at 9, to provide a socalled seatopening for a reduced portion 10 of a manipulative-valve proper lllengthwise slidable in the bore of member 7, valve 11 being formed at its inner end with a tapering pm tion 12 for regulating or controlling the How or admission of air through the casingslots 8 and opening" 9 into the tube 6. The valve 11 carries a cross-pin or the like 13 arranged to ride in the slots 8 and which provides a point of connection with an opcrating or manipulating rod 14: extended through the dash or instrument-board and its free end nade conveniently accessible to the automoblledriver. By means of the operating rod or member 14, the valve proper 11 may be slidably actuated in the casing 7 v to regulate or control the volume of air supplied through the tube '6 into the tank or reservoir 1, as may be desired or-required, the air-supply being completely shut off when the portion 10 of valve 11 is seated in the opening 9. Preferably, as shown, the

valve-casing 7 is equipped with a stufiingbox l5'to provide a lubricated support for the sliding valve proper 11 and also, through friction, to maintain the valve proper 11 in its various adjusted positions with relation to the air-inlet-opening 9.

Threaded in the other opening of coverpl'ate'3, is one end of a tubular, connection 16 leading from the tank or reservoir 1 to the gas-intake or'manifold A of the engine,

has within its v capillary material; and arranged withii'r t'he tank 1 to hold the linin 18 from collapsing, is a wire-meshcage or t e like 19.

i Fixed to the tank 1 at'its lower end and communicating with the interior thereof, is

anelbow 2'0,whose outer open end is presented upwardly and into which is secured a filler-tube 21 provided at its upper end with a closure-cap 22. Toprovide for'drainage ofth'e tank 11, the elbow 20 is provided with removable plugor the like 23, as

shown, the tank 1 being adapted-to provide -j 'a source of water or moisture supply indevpendent of the usual water supply for the .15

engine. 1

:The filler tube 21' is of suitable height relatively to the tank 1, and, as here shown,

I tube 21 is approximately half the length of tank 1, and' disposed crosswise within the' tankand fixed to the cage 19 to lie in a plane slightly above the plane of the upper end of tube 21, is a perforated preferably sheet metal diaphragm" 24"adapted to 'obviate splashing of the contained water into the' upper'part of the tank.

' The'lower or dischargeend ofv air-supply pipe 6'is disposed at some distance above] the diaphragm 24and consequently above.

' the level of the contained water, as illusas s'hoWn, toi provide an air-outlet passage v permit air to flow into the tubefi, the runimmediately next the lining 18 for the air entering the tank through the tube 6.

'In ractice, the tank or reservoir 1 is suitab y positioned within the hood of the automobile, and to that end is preferably provided with securing-means in the form of a clamp or the like 26 arranged to be conveniently-bolted to the dash or instrument-board of the machine, one end of the pipe or connection 16 being fitted into a suitable opening tapped in the intake-manifold A between its division-point and the carbureter C, as-seen in Fig. 4.

, In use or operation, the tank filled with water thr0ugh the filler-tube 21 the water rising only to approximately the level of the upper endof the tube 21. The lining 18', being partially immersed. inthe containedwater, by capillarity' carries the jwater above the diaphragm 24, where a large part of the area of the lining 18 is exposed to the open interior of the tank 1 and to. the evaporating action of the in; coming air. Valve 11 being actuated to ning of the engine creates a suction which draws air through the valve-openingl 9- and downwardly through tube 6 into t e tank w ithin'tank. 1 and suspended by the tube 6 1 is partially 1, the entering air being then spread by the bafile-plate25 toqimpinge-against, and by evaporation taking moisture from, the liningor wick-'18. The air laden with moisture or vapor then flows outwardly through the pipe or connection 16 to the intake-manifold A, being superheated in its flow through the coil 17. On entering the manifold A, the moisture or vapor-laden and heated air commingles with the gas-mixtureentering from the carbureter O and flows therewith into the several combustion-chambers of the engine, the said moisture or vapor-laden, v

heated air serving to increase the combustib lity of the gas-mixture, to obviate carbon-- ization in the, engine and its cylinders, and' by augmenting theefficiency of the gas? mixture effecting a' saving in the amount of gas supplied to the engine.

I am aware that minor changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of. the several parts of my new gas-saving device may 'be-made and substituted .for 'those herein shown and tie scribed without departing from the nature and principle of my invention Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is: 1. device of the type described comrising a tank adapted-to be partially filled with'wa'ter and having an air-inlet above the level of the contained water, in combination with. a tubular lining possessing capillarity disposed within the tank and arranged for partial immersion in the contained water, and a battle-plate disposed within the tank to spread the incoming air to, impinge against the lining, the tank having an outlet arranged for connection with the gas-intake of the engine. I

2.-A device of the type described comprising a tank adapted to be partially filled .with water and having a controllable "airinlet above the level of the contained water, in combination with a tubular lining possessing capillarity disposed within the tank and arranged for partial immersion in the contained water, and a baffle-plate disposed within the tank to spread the incoming air to impinge against the lining, the baflie-plate being spaced at its periphery from the lining the gas-intake of the engine.

3. A device of the type describedcomprising,- a tank adapted to be partially filled with water, .in combination with an air-supply pipe located within the tank and having its discharge-end above the level ofv the contained Water, means for controlling the admission of air into the tank through saidpipe, a tubular lining possessing capillarity disposed within the tank and'arranged forpartial irmnersion a in the contained Water,

the plane of the and a 'bafiie-plate suspended Within the tank at the dischargeend of said pipe for spreading the incoming air to impinge against the lining, the baffleplate being spaced at its periphery from the lining and the tank having an outlet above discharge-end of said pipe arranged for connection With the gas-intake of the engine. 1

4. A device of the type described comprising a tank adapted to be partially filled with Water and to provide a source of moisturesupply independent of the engine, in combination with an air-supply pipe located Within the tank and having its dischargeend above the level of the contained Water,

means for controlling the admission of air into the tank through said pipe, a tubular lining possessing capillarity disposed within the tank and arranged for partial i1nmer- 'sion in the contained Water, a baflle-plate" suspended within the tank at the dischargeend of said pipe for spreading the incomingair to impinge against the lining, and a splash-preventing diaphragm disposed Within the tank below the plane ofthe baffleplate, the baffle-plate being spaced at its periphery from the lining and the tank having an outlet above the plane of the discharge-end of said pipe arranged for connection with the gas-intake of the engine. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification:

ALEXANDER Q. NASH. 

